Have you ever engaged in a social media political "debate?" A back and forth of 140 characters or less. If you haven't, good; don't bother! It's pointless.
Not because a civil dialogue with a person of a different viewpoint is harmful in of itself. Because conflicting evidence or data will not change the mind of the other person. As stated in a previous blog post, evidence shows that contrary facts will only make the belief-holder more entrenched in his or her own views, in direct opposition to the "facts."
A recent example would be the vaccine conspiracy theories. Celebrity activists, with no medical training or experience, persuaded parents to forego vaccines to avoid autism. Despite there being no medical studies to support the faux theory, some parents went along and perpetuated the anti-vaccination rhetoric. When they were told that there was no evidence to support their position, they grew more extreme in their beliefs, sometimes challenging the intentions of the doctors undermining their uninformed convictions. Fortunately, California lawmakers sent a bill to the Governor to mandate vaccines, which benefits public health and is consistent with sound medical science.
It doesn't end with vaccines. Take ObamaCare, climate change, or criminal justice reform. Most Republicans cannot and will not accept the facts.
ObamaCare has been upheld yet again by the United States Supreme Court. It isn't unconstitutional. Healthcare costs, overall, have bucked trends. Instead of double-digit inflation of medical costs, we are seeing a decline throughout the country. The uninsured rate has dropped significantly. Everything is working as projected -- similar to what happened in Massachusetts, the state that influenced ObamaCare.
Republicans are still calling ObamaCare a failure, and are demanding a full repeal.
Climate change is starting to make a noticeable impact. Refugees, due to climate change, have been displaced. 2015 is already the hottest year on record. Droughts are becoming more common. Ecological consequences are starting to affect a large number of animals.
Republicans either deny climate change or refuse to take steps to lower carbon emissions for fear of upsetting one of their most reliable special interest: big oil (Koch and Hamm).
Finally, systemic racism has been rearing its ugly head. Multiple police brutality stories have drawn attention to racial profiling and excessive force. Reliable data shows that Blacks and Latinos are arrested at a higher rate than Whites despite the fact that Whites are committing similar crimes at similar rates. A black man will be sentenced more harshly for the same crime that a white man has committed.
Republicans refuse to confront racial disparities and discrimination. Instead, they are pushing for Jim Crow policies, like: voter identification laws and mandatory minimum sentencing, which could impact a defendant's ability to vote later in life. They support the invalidation of the Voting Rights Act -- a staple achievement of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Don't bother raising your voice, or frantically typing at the keyboard. One cannot change the mind of a Republican extremist. However, liberals should always be open to discussing the issues with independents or moderates. It's important, especially in the months ahead, that more people see the GOP for what it has become: intolerant, impervious to the facts, and the wrong party to lead the country into the future.
